Paolo Pedercini, the developer behind the game "Future? No Thanks!" and known for his work under the pseudonym Molleindustria, is offering refunds to players who feel misled by the undisclosed use of generative AI in his latest title. The game, which depicts a future where "climate change is finally being tackled, democracy thrives, and technology serves the public good," was released in September.
In a blog post, Pedercini confirmed that "Future? No Thanks!" incorporated AI-generated content, including two text-to-speech voices and two music loops created using Suno. Additionally, a small portion of the game's code was debugged with the assistance of ChatGPT and Claude. This revelation has drawn criticism, particularly as Pedercini has publicly described AI as a "technofascist, anti-human and anti-art project."
Following the initial disclosure, Pedercini posted an update stating that the AI-generated content, excluding the code, has been removed from the game. He defended the inclusion of AI elements, noting that the music loops were intended to satirize listeners of "slop" and that the AI voices were deemed funnier in that satirical context. He suggested the game is only marginally worse without these elements.
Pedercini is now providing refunds to players who feel betrayed by the AI usage. However, some critics have pointed out the perceived irony of a developer advocating for socialist and eco-friendly ideals while employing tools that threaten such a future. Pedercini's past games often carry strong political messages, making the use of AI a point of contention for his audience.
The developer acknowledged the criticism, though his response included sarcastic analogies about using "the master's tools" and whether one would eat a sandwich with "ONLY A LITTLE POOP in it." He also suggested that satire does not necessitate the use of the very tools being satirized. Pedercini has stated that his next game will be developed entirely without AI assistance.